FOLFIRI regimen in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma resistant to gemcitabine and platinum-salts

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the FOLFIRI regimen in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) after the failure of gemcitabine and platinum salts. METHODS: All consecutive patients with histologically confirmed, metastatic PAC and World Health Organiza-tion performance status (PS) ≤ 2 received FOLFIRI-1 [irinotecan 180 mg/m2 on day 1 and leucovorin 400 mg/m2 followed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 400 mg/m2 bolus, then 5-FU 2400 mg/m2 as a 46-h infusion, biweekly] or FOLFIRI-3 (irinotecan 100 mg/m2 on day 1 and leucovorin 400 mg/m2, then 5-FU 2400 mg/m2 as a 46-h infusion and irinotecan 100 mg/m2 repeated on day 3, biweekly) after failure of gemcitabine and platinum-based chemotherapies as a systematic policy in two institutions between January 2005 and May 2010. Tumor response, time to progression (TTP), overall survival rate (OS) and grade 3-4 toxicities were retrospectively studied. Subgroup analyses were performed to search for prognostic factors. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients (52.4% male, median age 59 years) were analyzed. Among them, 42.9% were PS 0, 38.1% were PS 1 and 19.0% were PS 2. Fifty one patients (81.0%) had liver metastases. Before the FOLFIRI regimen, patients had received 1 line (n = 19), 2 lines (n = 39) or 3 lines (n = 5) of chemotherapy. Median TTP obtained with the line before FOLFIRI was 3.9 mo (95% CI: 3.4-5.3 mo). A total of 480 cycles was completed (median: 6 cycles, range: 1-51 cycles). The main reason for discontinuing FOLFIRI was tumor progression (90.3%). Tumor control was achieved in 25 patients (39.7%) (partial response: n = 5, stable disease: n = 20) with FOLFIRI. Median TTP was 3.0 mo (95% CI: 2.1-3.9 mo) and median OS was 6.6 mo (95% CI: 5.3-8.1 mo). Dose adaptation was required in 36 patients (57.1%). Fifteen patients (23.8%) had grade 3-4 toxicities, mainly hematological (n = 11) or digestive (n = 4). Febrile neutropenia occurred in 3 patients. There was no toxic death. PS 2 was significantly associated with poor TTP [hazard ratio (HR): 16.036, P < 0.0001] and OS (HR: 4.003, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: The FOLFIRI regimen had an acceptable toxicity and an interesting efficacy in our study, limited to patients in good condition (PS 0-1).

Disease control with sunitinib in advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma resistant to gemcitabine-oxaliplatin chemotherapy

Advanced cholangiocarcinoma is associated with poor prognostic survival and has limited therapeutic options available at present. The importance of angiogenesis and expression of pro-angiogenic factors in intrahepatic forms of cholangiocarcinoma suggest that therapies targeting angiogenesis might be useful for the treatment of this disease. Here we report three cases of patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma progressive after standard chemotherapy and treated with sunitinib 50 mg/d in 6-wk cycles of 4 wk on treatment followed by 2 wk off treatment(Schedule 4/2). In all three patients, sunitinib treatment was associated with a sustained disease control superior to 4 mo, patients achieving either a partial response or stable disease. A reduction in tumor size and density was observed in all cases, suggesting tumor necrosis as a result of sunitinib treatment in these patients. In addition, sunitinib was generally well tolerated and the occurrence of side effects was managed with standard medical interventions, as required. Our results suggest that sunitinib therapy maybe associated with favorable outcomes and tolerability in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. Those observations contributed to launch a prospective phase Ⅱ multicenter trial investigating sunitinib in advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(SUN-CK study; NCT01718327).

Gemcitabine in elderly patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

AIM:To assess feasibility,tolerability and efficacy of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in patients≥75 years old with advanced pancreatic cancer.METHODS:All consecutive patients≥75 years old with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma were included in this retrospective study.Necessary criteria to receive chemotherapy were:performance status 0-2,adequate biological parameters and no serious comorbidities.Other patients received best supportive care(BSC).RESULTS:Thirty-eight patients(53%women,median age 78 years,range 75-84)with pancreatic cancer(metastatic:n=20,locally advanced:n=18)were studied.Among them,30(79%)were able to receivechemotherapy[median number:9 infusions(1-45)].Six patients(23%)had at least one episode of grade 3 neutropenia and one patient developed a grade 3 hemolytic-uremic syndrome.No toxic death occurred.Three patients(11%)had a partial tumor response,13(46%)had a stable disease and 12(43%)had a tumor progression.Median survival was 9.1 mo(metastatic:6.9 mo,locally advanced:11.4 mo).CONCLUSION:Tolerance and efficacy of gemcitabinebased chemotherapy is acceptable in elderly patients in good condition,with similar results to younger patients.